Monday, 13 March 2017

GE’s Fuel-Flexible Power Plant Brings Vital Energy Boost to Ghana

GE, the world’s premier digital industrial company, today announced the order of a 200MW combined-cycle power plant to be operated by Amandi Energy Ltd in Aboadze, Ghana. The plant will help to add reliable and efficient capacity to the grid to tackle Ghana’s increasing demand for power. The plant’s construction will be overseen by Metka, a leading international engineering contractor.

This turnkey plant will be powered by GE’s 9E.04 gas turbine with tri-fuel capabilities. Initially fueled by light crude oil, the switch will be made to indigenous gas from Ghana’s offshore Sankofa natural gas field once available.

“GE’s fuel capabilities are unmatched. Having a turbine that is able to switch between fuels can provide increased plant operability allowing for power generation months before the indigenous gas supply would otherwise be available,” said Boaz Lavi, GM for Amandi Energy Ltd, Ghana. “This is crucial in helping Ghana meet its growing power needs.”

GE will also provide the steam turbine, heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), associated balance of plant, and 7-year CSA. Once operational, the 200 MW plant will be one of the most efficient power plants in the country and will generate the equivalent power needed to supply more than one million Ghanaian homes.

“Our customers have complex fuel needs, and this project illustrates the breadth of solutions we are able to deliver to meet their expectations,” said Leslie Nelson, GM Gas Power Systems at GE Power in Sub-Saharan Africa, “We are pleased that our strong regional presence allows us to get power to our customers, like Amandi Energy, quickly and efficiently."

The rugged 9E can burn more than 50 types of fuels and can switch between natural gas, distillate and heavy fuel oil while operating under full load. GE’s 9E.04 has multiple features that help reduce fuel costs and increase revenue, such as a 145 MW output and 37 percent efficiency in simple-cycle. GE has more than 3,000 E-class turbines installed throughout the world with 143 million combined operating hours.

GE works with the government, corporate customers and other stakeholders in Ghana to support economic growth through infrastructure development in the power, healthcare and transport sectors. In 2014, GE opened a 200-capacity permanent office in Accra, and now has over 80 employees - 95% of which are Ghanaians.